Twenty students from Illinois were injured after the school bus they were in was hit by a semi driver on US 30. Photo by Warsaw Police Department.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Twenty students from Illinois were injured after a two-vehicle accident involving a semi and school bus on US 30.

At 8:06 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, multiple emergency departments responded to a two-vehicle accident on US 30, near East Center Street, Warsaw.

According to an accident report from the Warsaw Police Department, Victor Santos, 58, Brooklyn, N.Y., was driving a white 2006 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer west on US 30, toward the East Center Street intersection. Santos told officers a school bus pulled out in front of him at the intersection.

A yellow 2008 International school bus, driven by Everett C. Shelton, 67, Alsip, Ill., was in the turn lane on US 30 to turn left onto East Center Street. Shelton said he received a green turn arrow and was turning when the bus was hit by Santos’ semi tractor-trailer. The accident caused the school bus to flip over onto its driver’s side.

Multiple EMS crews were called to the accident for various injuries the bus’s occupants had. The school bus was transporting a hockey team from St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Ill. The group was in Warsaw to spend the night at a hotel following a weekend hockey tournament in Culver.

The bus had a total of 25 passengers, and the following 20 students were injured:

• Owen Huffman, 15, Oak Park, Ill. Huffman was possibly ejected from the bus and lost consciousness. He sustained a broken sacrum, ruptured bladder, lacerations to his spleen and liver, as well as rib and pelvic fractures.
• Jack Rogers, 15, Downers Grove, Ill. Rogers was possibly ejected from the bus and lost consciousness. He sustained a pelvic fracture, skull fracture, liver laceration and lung bruising.
• James Doherty, 15, Chicago, Ill. Doherty complained of head pain.
• Nic Lissuzzo, 15, River Forest, Ill. Lissuzzo sustained a bump to the head and a small bruise to his ankle.
• Jackson Bossert, 15, Chicago, Ill. Bossert complained of soreness and pain to his shin.
• Samuel Reif, 14, Chicago, Ill. Reif sustained minor lacerations and complained of head pain.
• Patrick Altman, 17, Chicago, Ill. Altman complained of head, right hand, shoulder and ankle pain. He also sustained a busted lip.
• Jonathan Walsh, 15, Chicago, Ill. Walsh complained of shoulder and ankle pain. He also sustained spleen, lung, and facial lacerations.
• John Lyons, 15, Ellsworth Park, Ill. Lyons complained of ankle pain and sustained minor lacerations.
• Alex Cook, 14, Chicago, Ill. Cook complained of facial and jaw pain.
• Kiefer Gilbertson, 15, Chicago, Ill. Gilbertson sustained head lacerations.
• Lucas Joa, 15, Chicago, Ill. Joa complained of head and knee pain.
• Augustus Bergman, 14, Chicago, Ill. Bergman injured his left hand and sustained a facial laceration.
• Nicholas Smat, 16, Chicago, Ill. Smat sustained injuries to his finger and head.
• Ari Ram, 15, Chicago, Ill. Ram complained of knee pain.
• Carson Gelatka, 15, Saint John. Gelatka complained of head pain and left wrist pain. He also sustained minor lacerations.
• Nicholas Nocera, 14, Chicago, Ill. Nocera sustained bruising and a cut to his lip.
• Colin McGrath, 17, Riverside, Ill. McGrath sustained a possible fractured jaw and shoulder injury.
• Emmett Murphy, 16, Chicago, Ill. Murphy sustained a bump to his head and had a sore neck.
• Brooks Colmone, 14, Bur Ridge, Ill. Colmone sustained a cut and a bump to his head.

Santos, Shelton, three additional students and the hockey team’s two coaches were uninjured. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Nov. 13, WPD representatives said all students, including those most seriously injured, were all listed in stable condition.

Two witnesses said they were traveling west on US 30 when Santos’ semi appeared from behind them. The semi was straddling the yellow line in the middle of the roadway, forcing the witnesses off the side of the road to avoid a collision. They told officers they called 911 to report Santos as a reckless driver while they were entering Warsaw’s city limits. The witnesses said westbound US 30 traffic had a red light and that Santos ran the red light, hitting the school bus.

Two additional witnesses, who had been following Santos’ semi since Columbia City, said Santos almost ran them off the roadway several times and in some instances was traveling at speeds in excess of 90 mph. They also told officers they called 911 to report Santos’ reckless driving and witnessed Santos disregard the red light at the East Center Street intersection.

All four witnesses then exited their vehicles and began rendering aid to those injured in the accident.

Video footage from a local business showed the school bus preparing to make a left turn at a green arrow when Santos’ semi is shown approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed, hitting the school bus.

Santos was showing signs of impairment at the time of the accident and was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in bodily injury and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

Santos’ affidavit of probable cause will be published as it becomes available.

Damages are estimated up to $100,000.